For location and emergency communications when out prowling alone or with some of the decrepit older hunting partners that I've hunted with during the last 20+ years. Dang Cell phones never seem to work where I'm at. :WTF_1:

Costco does have them. I also read on the info that there is an annual fee as well.I just bought me a Bushnell Backtrack just for those times when the last calling stand is getting a bit dark, I can hunt right to when I can't see and not have to worry about loacating the vehicle without any hesitation. They are about $50.00. fast and accurate.db

.... My wife actually bought me mine. They're great in cases of emergencies where a cell phone won't work. Even if you hunt with someone else, I wouldn't want my buddy trying to carry my fat butt out of the area. I would only use it as a last resort though because has anyone priced what a rescue costs nowadays? Alot of health insurance companies frown from paying these fees (even though it's not their money). That's the reason I also carry my Garmin eTrex handheld GPS. I always mark the vehicle (especially when night hunting) so I can find it without any hassles. Last year, I sprained my ankle pretty badly and per my GPS, I was 1.2 miles from my Jeep. I almost used SPOT but then the cost of rescue hit me in the face and I decided to make a crutch and hobble back to the vehicle, which took almost 5 hours! The SPOT has a $100 basic service plan (which is all you need) per year. Good system that should prove valuable since I ain't gettin' any younger!

My wife got me one for Christmas and I use it all the time. I took it as a license to go hunting by myself any time I want!It's cheap insurance for us older guys who still think we are 21 but the body doesn't respond that way anymore.I got mine at Cabela's. They have it on sale on occasion for around $100 and it comes with a $50 off certificate for the first year's monitoring service. The $100.000 emergency rescue insurance policy is about a $10 add on. Pretty cheap, if you're prone to get into the same kind of trouble I can.Here's a link to the Spot website. SpotTruckeedan

Anyone else using one of these yet? Robin always worries when I go out hunting by myself, so she gave me an early present this morning. I still need to activate it, but looking for reviews on this piece of equipment. Anyone?

Yeah, I have one they work as advertised. About $150 per year to keep them activated. The OK button sends email to family & friends with your location and your canned I'm OK message. Help sends message to family or friends when you're not in immediate danger but need assistance with flat tire, out of gas or such. 911 button sends message to service center that relays your 911 request to the nearest 911 agency and they send help. If you accidentally send an unnecessary 911 then you get to pay if you don't get it canceled in time.

Interests:Retired-Catching up on life (Hunting, Rv'ing, Friends, Family & an occasional BEER!)

Posted 21 December 2010 - 04:14 PM

.... My wife actually bought me mine. They're great in cases of emergencies where a cell phone won't work. Even if you hunt with someone else, I wouldn't want my buddy trying to carry my fat butt out of the area. I would only use it as a last resort though because has anyone priced what a rescue costs nowadays? Alot of health insurance companies frown from paying these fees (even though it's not their money). That's the reason I also carry my Garmin eTrex handheld GPS. I always mark the vehicle (especially when night hunting) so I can find it without any hassles. Last year, I sprained my ankle pretty badly and per my GPS, I was 1.2 miles from my Jeep. I almost used SPOT but then the cost of rescue hit me in the face and I decided to make a crutch and hobble back to the vehicle, which took almost 5 hours! The SPOT has a $100 basic service plan (which is all you need) per year. Good system that should prove valuable since I ain't gettin' any younger!

The wife bought one for me too. I believe SPOT also offers insurance that will cover costs of rescue/evacuation/ or heaven forbid, recovery.

I got one of the small SPOT transceivers before the last deer season. I tested it on a 4-day trip by sending the "check in" message every day to my wife. She got them all. I take it everytime I'm hiking or hunting.Cheap insurance in case you really need help immediately. It may cost you for the rescue but probably not as much as a funeral costs.

Good communication with your wife can make for a good solo trip. You can give them a web page to track your every move...so if you stop moving for more than a a couple minutes with no check in, they can be on it...or at least find your body quicker.

Hi Shooter,I spend a lot of time in wilderness areas, out of range of cell phones and so on - I would say that the value of a SPOT is dependent on what you are thinking about using it for. If you are interested in just sending updates and so on to your friends, I think it fits the bill. If you are purchasing it for the 911 feature, I would say stay away. There's a reason an ACR locator costs $500 and a SPOT costs $99... if you're worried about being able to get help in the wilderness, the money would be better put towards either a real ACR beacon or, for less scary situations, a satellite telephone.I carry an ACR and a Ham radio when I'm out of cell phone range. Those are the only two systems I would trust my life to - the ACR for a "real" emergency and the Ham radio for less scary situations. Also, satellite phones are very inexpensive these days, so if you have to pay $100 a year for the SPOT, on top of the $99 to buy it, it might make more sense to get a satellite phone and pick up $50-100 worth of minutes every year.Anyway, just my two cents.

I'm SPOT on ....I got the SPOT 2 version.. a little lighter, etc. I had to opt for a safety device rather than buying some more hardware...darn it.I am impressed. However, I will not be taking any additional chances just because I now have a way of call the Mounties for a helping hand. Like Fakawee, I go places that cell phones are worthless for emergency assistance.I found SPOT to be a neat technology tool for prospecting new sites, ranches and farms that are infested with diggers.I do a fair amount of wondering...just looking for that perfect pasture/open field this time of year. Working this early will get me the time it takes to establish the right, low key, first contact with a rancher/farmer.Now I'm SPOT on...